Wind power

**rreidnauer** · 03-13-2006, 03:59 PM

Ha, well, since this thread has become active again, I may as well share some of the progress I've been making. So here's some pics of the alternator construction.

Stator layout with magnet placement visualization. You can see I've been playing with different coil shapes. I've changed my mind at least three times already, including once today!

Magnets glued onto rotors, and template for setting magnets. At this point, the rotors are VERY dangerous to handle. Each magnet by itself has 87 lbs. of pull, together it's 1044 lbs, and with the flux conductance of the rotor, it's even higher to a value I'm unable to determine, but it could be as high as double, and that's only one rotor!!!! Needless to say, if you got your fingers between the rotor and some heavy steel, or the other rotor, you can kiss them fingers goodbye. It would squeeze them clean off!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

And this is cutting the mold that will make up the stator drawn in the first picture. You can see the hub assembly laying in the background.

That's about where I'm at. More to come.

**ponyboy** · 03-13-2006, 05:53 PM

:shock: Wow! that's lookin' pretty good!! :D

**dbtoo** · 03-14-2006, 04:58 AM

Rod, are you a rocket scientist or something? That's too wild. Awesome!
How big is this thing going to be? You'll have to but up some lifting poles to get it off the ground, no?

**rreidnauer** · 03-14-2006, 08:43 AM

Nope, I ain't no rocket scientist. :lol: Like the saying from the Otherpower website, "The cutting edge of low technology." Their site is of great value for building this thing.

All you're looking at is 13 inch front brake disks for a Mustang Cobra, with 2" x 1/2" Neodymium magnets attached. The hub assembly is just a trailer hub and spindle set from a trailer supply store. The mechanics of it all are quite easy. The mathmatic parts are a bit harder on the brain. There are so many formulas for figuring out this and that, and it seems there is no one place to get those formulas, since this is all pretty much "redneck engineering."

The planned prop diameter is 14 feet, though I'm still figuring out the math for making sure the prop is sized right for the generator. The whole thing is going to be quite heavy. (maybe 400 lbs excluding the tower) To get it up, I'll probably use a homebuilt "tilt-up" style tower, unless a deal comes along. 35-40 feet up is the target.

OK, back to head-scratching math. Later

**dbtoo** · 03-15-2006, 08:58 AM

You could possibly save 50% on a wind turbine system....

http://www.bergey.com/Library/792pon.2005.pdf

And there should be a 30% federal tax credit on the other 50%. You'll have to look into the details.

**rreidnauer** · 03-17-2006, 08:31 AM

I can't say for certain, but I think gov't rebates and such only apply to "grid-tied" systems. The reason I'm building this thing is because I will most likely be well off grid, and I doub't they care about those who have nothing to offer back.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

**dbtoo** · 03-20-2006, 04:46 AM

I haven't interpreted what I have read to mean only grid tie, usually just 'main' home (not summer cabins and such.)

http://www.dsireusa.org/
http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?Incentive_Code=US37F&State=Federal& currentpageid=1&ee=0&re=1
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=154657,00.html

**rreidnauer** · 03-23-2006, 08:02 PM

Good links dbtoo!!!! That looks pretty promising.

OK, more photos of my continuing progress!

This is how I contained the epoxy the magnets are cast into. I cut a band of aluminum flashing to the size of the inside and outside circumferences of the rotor surfaces, taped it together, and lined the surface towards the magnets with heavyweight packing tape. I added layers of tape and test fitted to the rotors until the forms fit tightly onto the rotors. I then mixed (expensive) West Systems epoxy with a slow hardener, and bought some empty caulk tubes, filled 'em up and cast the rotors, without slopping it all over the magnets.

And here is one of the rotors fresh out of the forms. The packing tape on the forms released from the epoxy far better than I could have ever hoped for. It left a beautiful shiney edge.

This is the modified trailer hub. One rotor is actually attached behind the flange. That's 1/2-20 stainless steel all-thread, which coincidentally, accepts lug nuts for attaching the rotors.

And this is the assembled magnet rotors onto the hub assembly. I guess about 80 pounds right there. I had wound a single test coil to put in between the rotors to see what kind of power I can get, but I got them adjusted a little too close together, and the coil rubs on the magnet faces. It takes too long to make the spacing change, so I didn't adjust it tonight, but just for my own entertainment, a held the coil in between the rotors anyhow, and spun the rotors as best I could with the other hand, I figure maybe 60 RPM max, (once around per second) and I got 2 volts AC!!!! OK, don't sound like much, but it's only one of nine coils, and at a very slow speed. My target voltage on one coil is 3.4 volts @ 100 RPM. Looks like that should be quite obtainable. :D

Thats all for now. More to come!

**dbtoo** · 03-24-2006, 04:35 AM

:shock: Wow! That's seriously impressive, Rod !!!

Just one question for now.... Where's the rest of the mustang?

**ponyboy** · 03-24-2006, 06:42 PM

:D Rod, if it starts talking with a German accent and begins searching for Sara Conner... RUN AWAY!!! :shock:

Here's a nice little wind mill for only $500.

The AIR-X's charge controller periodically stops charging, reads the battery voltage, compares it to the voltage setting and if the battery is charged, it completely shuts off all current going to the battery

http://store.yahoo.com/affordablesolar/1008.html